Could someone cap the damn thing off in a manual car with no vac modulator, and run an electric pump for locks, power brakes, and CC (if applicable)? Added benefit that power brakes will still work with the motor off.

If I remember correctly funola was looking into something like this not so long ago. I'll try and find the link.

EDIT - here it is

Vacuum pump alternatives

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I have a thread somewhere where I bought a late model Volvo 12 Volt Electric Vacuum Pump. I conneced it up to the main Vacuum Line and directly to the Battery.

I drove around with it and everthing that needed Vacuum worked normal.

I touched the Electric Vacuum Pump and Blisterd my Finger on it; it was so hot.
So with out the other do-dads like a Check Valve, Relay and Vacuum Switch to turn it on and off I think the Pump was on the way to burning up (this particular Pump seemed to be a Vane type Pump).

Unforunately the purposly made for the Job Vacuum Pumps like Summit Racing Sells are as expensive as a Mercedes Vacuum Pump.

I do not know if there would be any safety issues but I had been wondering if you wired a switch up to the Brake Pedal to turn the Vacuum Pump one only when the Brake is appled would work.
But, charging system problems seem to be more common than Vacuum Pump Failures so I guess it would be slightly less safe.

The above might be helped by adding a Vacuum reservoir just for the Brake Booster.

I am not sure if the locking system could be worked into that. If the Brake/Switch was wired directly to the Battery perhaps to work the locking system when the Car is turned off you could simply tromp on the Brakes a few time to charge up the reservoir of the locking System.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel